


Promises

by pushingclovers



Category: Sam & Max
Genre: Alternate Universe - Zombie Apocalypse, M/M, i keep seeing fics for this AU and I am LIVING for them, no actual zombies show up they're just kinda chilling, spoilers for 305, there's some tooth-rotting fluff at the end because i cant help myself, they are in love
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-04-17
Updated: 2020-04-17
Packaged: 2021-03-01 19:46:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,077
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23692600
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pushingclovers/pseuds/pushingclovers
Summary: There's nothing like a zombie apocalypse to make you talk about not wanting to die. Again.
Relationships: Max/Sam (Sam & Max)
Kudos: 34





	Promises

This apocalypse was advancing a lot faster than any of them thought it would.

Sam gnawed at his pen, staring nervously at the ticker tape at the bottom of the TV screen, listing all the new cases and their locations in the state. Sure, he’d always imagined this would happen eventually, but not to this magnitude. This was nothing like the case they had before; the zombies now made the ones in Stuttgart look like mere playthings or horrible B-movie knock-offs.

His rabbity partner paced impatiently in front of the window, which was actually closed for once due to the rank smell of rot outside. His ears were constantly twitching with the sound of gunfire on the next street over, followed by the familiar long-winded and unnecessary shouts from their neighbor, out gathering supplies. “Guess Flint is putting his skills to the test again, huh?” He glanced over at Sam, sighing when the dog gave nothing more than a soft whine in response. “Maybe I should go help him,” he said with as much nonchalance as he could muster, pulling out his trusty Luger from who-knows-where. “Or check on everyone else. Grandpa Stinky might be able to hold his own, but I have doubts about Sybil and the kid.”

Sam perked immediately as Max popped out the cartridge and checked his ammo, an even more worried look forming into his face. “Isn’t there still more out there? I don’t want you to get munched on like an all-day buffet at one of those fan conventions.”

“Relax, Sam,” Max chided, reloading to full capacity. “It’s just a few yards of walking. I think I can manage.” He clicked the cartridge back in and shot Sam a grin, but immediately faltered at the kicked puppy look in his big beady eyes. “Aw, c’mon…don’t give me that look. It makes me feel things.”

“Max, this thing is serious. We could die.”

“We almost die all the time. In fact, we both actually did once!”

“Max.”

“Well, twice if you count the whole monster-destroying-the-city bit. Or did that even really happen?”

“Max…”

“Well, let’s see, do alternate timelines count?”

“Max, please, for the love of all that is good and holy left in this hell of an earth, shut _up_.”

Max flinched at the growl in Sam’s voice; he’d hardly ever heard it himself, but according to various people around the city, Sam apparently used it quite a bit when he wasn’t around. He was about to make a wisecrack to attempt to soften the mood but instead kept quiet, hopping up to sit on the desk and setting his Luger aside. “What do we do, then?,” Max asked after a long while of silence, swinging his legs back and forth. “I mean, we can’t just stay here. They might not know how to open a door, but they could still get in.”

Sam whimpered at the thought, dropping his head onto the desk and bringing his hands over his eyes. “I don’t know. I just don’t.”

The lagomorph stared at him blankly, reaching over to gently lift Sam’s hands, or at least attempt to. The dog only whined louder, keeping his hands solidly in place. “C’mon, Sam..,” Max groaned, scooting closer and increasing his efforts. “Don’t hold out on me, Sammy. Something is clearly wrong here.”

“You mean other than the pack of zombies that’s right outside our door.”

“Obviously, you big lug.”

Sam peeked from between his fingers, finally allowing the lagomorph to pry his hands away. Max dropped one of them, taking the other into his lap and smoothing out the fur in an uncharacteristic display of affection. The notion made him huff out a laugh, but still he let Max continue to rub at the fur. “Why’d you call me that?”

“What, Sammy? It always helps when you’re in a funk. Or just plain depressed.”

“It makes me feel like a kid…”

“It also makes ya happier.”

Sam gave a half-hearted shrug, closing his eyes. “I’d…prefer to go out together to check on everyone. I don’t wanna lose you.”

The lagomorph squeezed his fingers, his smile dissipating. “I don’t wanna lose you either, Sam.”

“Not again,” they both agreed.

They sat in silence once more, with Max still toying with Sam’s fur as the dog shook in his seat. Cautiously, Max scooted closer, dropping his hand in favor of gently scratching Sam’s ears in an attempt to calm him. “Y’know, I always thought we’d be more in our element when something like this happened. Senseless violence, blood and gore everywhere, watching Flint Paper kill a bunch of zombies again…”

“Sorry you’re disappointed, little buddy.” The dog opened his eyes again, staring at the desktop. “After that whole mess, I don’t want to risk anything. And I’m not looking forward to dying again, y’know? I’ve already been one of them and it isn’t that fun.”

“Yeah, but it’s different.”

“For one thing, they aren’t all raving with a vampire. These guys are actually dangerous.” As he spoke, even Sam’s voice began to shake, the truth of it setting in fully. “Max, what if we…” He trailed off, and Max immediately went to work to try to ground him. His usual tactic of half-insulting him wasn’t going to work at all, so he went for a different emotional pillar.

Max forced a grin, ruffling the fur atop Sam’s head. “Look, once this is all over,” he started, tilting the dog’s head up to look at him. “We’ll have another wedding. A big one this time, everyone we know will be there, even the dead ones. Okay?”

Sam’s eyes softened, focusing on Max and ignoring the rising panic. “Even the ones in prison?”

“Of course,” Max giggled, pressing their foreheads together. “That never stopped my dad for the last 29, did it?”

“You promise? About the wedding?”

Max couldn’t help but notice the underlying question in Sam’s tone; ‘you promise we’ll still be alive?’. He pulled back just enough to kiss Sam’s head, giving him a sad little smile before pulling him closer and cradling his head to his chest as close as he could. He had no idea of the future, and he knew how Sam was when he was alone. Promises were an important thing to both of them; neither dared try to break them, no matter what happened. Still, he had to give him something.

“Yeah,” Max answered softly, gently squeezing Sam. “Yeah, I promise.”

**Author's Note:**

> Hi I should have been working on a college paper while writing this but HERE WE ARE
> 
> I don't know who's au this is, if it belongs to anyone at all, but I felt the need to contribute regardless, I'm sorry that it kinda derailed into fluff at the end cksdjckb


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